A set with ‘strong planning expertise with several excellent members’, Six Pump Court are noted for their capability in dealing with planning, environmental and regulatory work. The teams’ ’strong expertise’ lends itself to working with a wide range of clients across England and Wales. Stephen Hockman KC has appeared in the Court of Appeal on behalf of a caravan resident on land designated green belt, who had been refused planning permission to retain her caravan in that location. Anne Williams has represented Bembridge Harbour Investments Ltd on the proposed residential development at Bembridge Harbour in the Isle of Wight.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Michael Hearn is helpful and efficient.'
  • 'Ryan Barrow is always very helpful and responsive.'
  • 'The Clerks are very helpful, and user-friendly. Richard Constable in particular is par excellent and always ensures that matters are dealt with swiftly. Ryan Barrow is also very approachable and always willing to help.'
  • 'The clerks are most helpful and Ryan Burrow is always there to provide advice and the availability of barristers.' 
  • 'Six Pump Court are able to provide high quality barristers at all levels covering planning, environmental and highways law.'
  • 'A highly skilled set, offering excellent service. They are very welcoming and always keen to assist.'
  • 'The barristers and clerks at Six Pump Court are most helpful and diligent in their work. The availability is good and the responses are timely.'
  • 'This set has strong planning expertise with several excellent barristers.'

Silks

Leading Silks
KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.
Stephen Hockman KC
3
Stephen Hockman KC
Six Pump Court
‘Stephen has an excellent legal mind and is incredibly accessible to corporate clients. He adopts a hands-on approach which is most welcome.’
William Upton KC
4
William Upton KC
Six Pump Court
 ‘William is very good on his feet. He has good knowledge of the law and can apply it strategically.’
4
Megan Thomas KC
Six Pump Court
  ‘Megan is approachable and an excellent listener. She is able to tailor her advice and advocacy to the audience regardless of their needs, level of understanding or particular circumstances. She has excellent recall of case law, and is able to succinctly drill down into the most complex parts of planning law and use this to provide excellent concise but detailed advice.’

Juniors

Leading Juniors
Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.
Anne Williams
2
Anne Williams
Six Pump Court
  ‘Anne is an experienced and capable barrister who is very much a people person, putting clients at ease in dealing with the complexities of the planning system. She structures a conference well and gives precise and to the point advice which clients appreciate. She is a skilled advocate who gets to the heart of a case.’
Giles Atkinson
3
Giles Atkinson
Six Pump Court
‘Giles is very good at listening to clients, he has a very clear sighted and no-nonsense approach. He is extremely expert and knowledgeable in planning law and practice. Clients greatly value his ability to explain difficult and complex concepts in a language they can understand.’
Nicola Strachan
3
Nicola Strachan
Six Pump Court
  ‘Nicola has a proactive approach to work, and conducts matters in a professional manner.’
Noémi Byrd
4
Noémi Byrd
Six Pump Court
  ‘Noémi has the ability to pick up matters quickly and disseminate through large volumes of details to get to the point. She is very pragmatic and a solution provider which is welcoming to clients who look at making commercial decisions. Noémi is also very confident in her advocacy and is able to stand her ground.’
Rising stars
Rising stars at the Bar are defined as barristers between four and eight years’ call who are seen as up-and-coming members of the Bar in their respective practice areas by clients and peers alike. They will already be instructed in high-profile, complex, and high-value contentious and non-contentious matters, working with and opposite more experienced leading counsel.
Angelica Rokad
Six Pump Court
 ‘Angelica is a barrister who can research a difficult case and prepare concise yet comprehensive recommendations and strategy. She is friendly and has good client skills.’